


And Then I Found You

by Happy_Pappy_Patton



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Amnesia, Beta Read, Blood, Christmas, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Is A Good Friend, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Logic | Logan Sanders Needs a Hug, Logic | Logan Sanders is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Not Like That, Roman is a Good Brother, Roommates, Shopping Malls, Sleep | Remy Sanders is a Little Shit, Slow Burn, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, amnesia is a plot point not the story, and they were ROOMMATES, be careful kids it's fun but also kinda dark, oh my god they were roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Pappy_Patton/pseuds/Happy_Pappy_Patton
Summary: Alternate title: Virgil's Handy Dandy Guide to Falling in Love with Someone You Just Met That DayThe day had started out so normal. Roman woke up to his brother imitating an alarm clock, followed by the smell of Logan and Patton’s famous pancakes. When he’d finally managed to drag himself out of bed and into the small kitchen, Logan had started gabbing about the latest news from NASA before rushing out the door to get to work. The jog had been an afterthought.Just like it had been an afterthought to follow the path that goes right past the local graveyard. Just like it had been an afterthought to take a closer look at a beautiful bouquet of dahlias on a worn gravestone.As far as life-changing moments went, that one little afterthought was a fucking miracle. If he hadn’t just happened to look over at that specific gravestone, he never would have seen the man lying in a heap of snow.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 74
Kudos: 100





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello l g b t c o m m u n i t y
> 
> I've been working on this fic for so long so I really hope you like it! Be sure to leave a comment or kudo if you like what you see!
> 
> tw: none that I could find. Tell me if I missed one

“Remus, wait!”

Stiffening, the hooded figure glanced back. He dreaded the look on his boyfriend’s face, but he couldn’t let it stop him. He was leaving tonight, no matter what.

“You’re not going to change my mind, Janus,” he murmured, knowing full well it wouldn’t do any good. “He’s unstable, and you know it. I’m not going to sit here and wait for him to explode.”

Janus finally caught up with him and grabbed his wrist. “But what about us? You can’t just leave us behind!”

“J, babe, I-” his voice cracked, but he tried to keep on track. He didn’t have much time. “My offer still stands. Come with me. I mean, I’m not saying it’d be perfect, but we could be happy. Don’t you want your life back?

The snake bit his lip, drawing Remus’s attention. God, he was so beautiful. Even in the darkness, he could see the perfectly sculpted lines of his boyfriend’s face, the knowledgeable glint in his eyes, the scar that only added to his perfection. He would miss this.

“I hope you know how much I want to,” Janus said quietly, dropping his gaze. “You’re everything, Re. I wasn’t lying when I promised my heart to you. But I can’t leave him alone. You know I can’t.”

Remus had known the answer the moment he asked the question. Still, he felt a small bit of his heart flake away. “Then you know that’s exactly the reason I have to.” Sighing, he took the man’s other hand. “I wish things were different, but they aren’t. Keep my heart, I don’t need it without you, but I can’t pay the price for being at your side anymore. I’m sorry.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Janus nodded solemnly. “I just wish we had a little more time.”

And Remus couldn’t resist anymore. In a single motion, he pulled his arms out of his boyfriend’s grasp and laced them around his neck, drawing the snake into a kiss. Janus melted, kissing as passionately as ever, but with a deeper hunger like he was trying to take in as much of the man as possible.

They might have stayed there forever, enthralled in each other’s orbits. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

A crash jerked Remus away, gasping for air, and he started talking fast. “Come find me when the shit hits the fan. With any luck, I’ll be at my brother’s place.”

Janus nodded frantically. “I’ll be there the moment he comes to his senses, I promise. We won’t be long. But if you’re going, go. Now.”

Steeling his nerves, Remus flashed a coy smile. He wanted his boyfriend’s last memory of him to be a nice one. “Until we meet again. Make sure Virgil stays out of trouble, won’t you?”

Then, he turned and bolted into the night, not waiting for an answer.


	2. Chapter 1: Four Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman's morning jog goes a bit different than expected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! The rest of this fic takes place about 4 years after the prologue for reference. Roman, Logan, Patton, and Virgil are all 24, Remus is 29.
> 
> Tw: blood, swearing, ambulances (described by someone who has limited experience sorry folks please tell me if I get things wrong about hospitals or anything in those regards), hypothermia, descriptions of wounds
> 
> Enjoy!

When Roman Prince had gone for a quick jog in the snow that Sunday morning before lunch with his friends, he thought he’d prepared for anything. He’d brought an extra jacket, gloves, a scarf per Patton’s request, even a few plastic bags in case of emergency. Remus had even joked that while he was at it, he might as well bring a body bag and an emergency survival kit.

He should’ve listened to Remus.

The day had started out so normal. Roman had woken up to his brother imitating an alarm clock, followed by the smell of Logan and Patton’s famous pancakes. When he’d finally managed to drag himself out of bed and into the small kitchen, Logan had started gabbing about the latest news from NASA before rushing out the door to get to work. The jog had been an afterthought.

Just like it had been an afterthought to follow the path that goes right past the local graveyard. Just like it had been an afterthought to take a closer look at a beautiful bouquet of dahlias on a worn gravestone.

As far as life-changing moments went, that one little afterthought was a fucking miracle. If he hadn’t just happened to look over at that specific gravestone, he never would have seen the man lying in a heap of snow.

He startled, staring at the unconscious figure. He was wearing nothing but a tank top and a pair of biker shorts, despite being half covered in snow. Which was bad enough as it was, not to mention the fact that the white powder surrounding him was dyed red with blood. Most everything was covered in it, actually. His hair was matted and stuck to his forehead, his shirt to his torso, his hand to an unmarked, unappreciated gravestone.

Roman jumped the graveyard fence frantically, grabbing at the stranger’s wrist and letting out a shaky breath when he felt a pulse. “Shit,” he breathed, trying to remember Remus’s instructions on how to staunch bleeding. Hands shaking, he dialled his brother.

“Hey there, bro,” Remus chirped.

“Re, I just found a guy.”

“About time.”

“Not like that, asshole. This is serious. He’s unconscious, ice-cold, bleeding out in the cemetery, do I have to keep going?”

A beat. “I’m on my way. Get him warm and try to figure out where the wound is.” And the line went dead.

Roman bit the inside of his cheek, inspecting the body closer. It wasn’t that he was bad around blood, he’d just never seen so much of it surrounding a breathing person. He had to wonder how the man was even alive.

Most of it seemed to be coming from the head and the legs, so Roman guessed the torso was safe enough to touch. Gingerly, he knelt down next to the body and worked his hands under the shoulders and thighs. The man was light, a little malnourished too. What had happened to him?

He carried the man quickly to the nearest bench he could find, then worked the emergency coat onto him and draped his own coat over his exposed legs for good measure. Speaking of his legs…

He peeled up the coat at the base of the legs to find the source of the blood but flinched back immediately at the sight. It looked like the man’s entire right calf had been sliced in half. No wonder he was unconscious; Roman felt lightheaded just looking at the wound.

He wasted no time in wrapping it in Patton’s scarf, thanking every god he didn’t believe in that Remus had weirded him out enough as a kid to be numb at the sight of blood. The wound was long and deep, but the only thing Roman could do before his brother and the EMTs arrived was stanch the bleeding. But Jesus, what could do this to a guy? And who could he be to receive such harsh treatment?

A piece of the answer fell to the ground not 5 seconds later in the form of a small card: the man’s drivers license. It must have slipped out of his pocket when Roman had carried him over. He wiped a bit of blood and grime off the surface and examined it.

The ID belonged to a Virgil Winch, who was 24 like Roman and lived in Georgia. At least he was in the right state. His eyes wandered to the picture, and his jaw dropped.

The guy was hot. Like, drop-dead gorgeous. His hair was a stunning violet that perfectly complimented his hazel eyes, and he was wearing a dark hoodie and thick eyeshadow and foundation. It was such a stark contrast from the bare, blood-soaked mess before him, yet the similarities were uncanny. He looked a lot thinner, more unhealthy now, and without the heavy makeup he could see a showering of freckles, but the eyes were the same, and so was the lovely jaw.

That’s when he noticed it. There was a wound on the forehead, and one on the leg, but they weren’t the only bloody things. Virgil’s right pointer finger was scraped up and red. Frowning, he trailed back to the gravestone the man had been lying next to. There was a small spatter of blood on the edge, probably where the head injury had come from, but the rest of the stone was dusted in a thin layer of snow. Well, mostly.

Carved into the snow were 2 letters followed by a long line: J A. This kept on getting weirder.

When the EMTs arrived, Roman was contemplating taking his shirt off to wrap Virgil’s head. Remus rushed forward before he could. “Ro, what the hell? Why don’t you have a coat?”

“He’s freezing cold, you told me to keep him warm!” Roman gestured at the bench and the mystery man. His brother rolled his eyes but froze when he saw the man. His eyes widened.

“Shit.”

“Yeah, what did you expect? I told you it was serious-”

“Does he have any identification?” Remus interrupted as a few EMTs surrounded the body with a stretcher.

“Uh, yeah, I found his license, but Re-”

Without a word, he snatched up the card and examined it, looking much like he’d seen a ghost. As he read it, his face flushed with fear, rage, and something a lot deeper. Hope? Guilt?

Roman coughed. “You, uh, know this guy?”

Remus glanced up at him, panic apparent in his eyes. “Uh, no,” he muttered. “He just reminds me of someone, is all.”

Roman raised an eyebrow. His brother was acting strange. He was usually such an amazing liar.

He decided not to push it. 24 years of being a younger brother had taught him that you could never force Remus to do anything. “Yeah, well, that’s not even it.”

Roman led him over to the grave and the two letters. “I found him over here. His finger is all bloody. I think he was trying to tell us something.”

Remus fell uncharacteristically quiet. Roman turned back, confused, only to see a tear sliding down his brother’s face. He was shaking, pressing his lips into a firm line.

“Remus? What’s wrong?”

“I’m-” he cleared his throat. “I’m fine. You should go, you have a lunch date to get to. I’ll fill in the hospital and call you if- if he wakes up.”

He rushed over to the ambulance, making sure to keep his face hidden from Roman. He couldn’t quite cover up his murmurs, though, and the prince could hear the broken whispers. “No. No, no, no… all my fault, I can’t… you can't have… you promised…”

Roman watched him go, more than a little concerned for his older brother. In all their years as brothers, he’d never seen Remus cry. Then again, he’d never found a bloody body in a graveyard, and he’d never called for an ambulance before, either. Today certainly was a time for firsts.

Whipping out his phone, Roman searched Instagram for Virgil Winch.

No results.

 _Fine then_ , he thought. _The guy looks emo. Tumblr._

No hits.

_Jesus. Facebook? Twitter? Fucking MySpace?_

Not a blip, not a match, not a single google search result.

As far as the Internet was concerned, Virgil Winch didn’t exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm... I wonder what's going on with Remus....


	3. Chapter 2: Lunch Gayte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman has lunch with Patton and Logan and learns some things about his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I'm back and happy holidays! Enjoy this fun little chapter! I hope you have a wonderful day!

“Ro, thank god! Where have you been?”

Patton Hart was, to put it simply, the kindest person in the entire world. He and Roman had been best friends since the second grade, and nothing so far had been able to tear apart their friendship. When Roman walked into the cafe the trio were meant to meet up at, he immediately barreled toward him and wrapped him in a hug so tight that bystanders would think it’d been years since they’d last seen each other rather than 3 hours.

Nonetheless, Roman chuckled. “Easy there, Pat. I’m only five minutes late.” 

“Perhaps, but that ignores any previous data from these get-togethers,” Logan said, walking towards the pair with a neutral expression. “Typically, you’re ten minutes early. Patton is quite right in his concern here.”

“Awww, I didn’t know you cared, Calculator Watch.”

Logan rolled his eyes, but Patton beamed, pulling away from Roman to wrap an arm around his wrist. “Of course he does! He might hide it, but LoLo has one of the biggest hearts I know of!”

Logan stiffened, blushing lightly. Patton didn’t notice a thing, the oblivious little bean. With the thickness of those glasses, you’d think he’d be able to see _anything._ Anything at all. (Patton you stupid little baby look at this adorable nerd who’s in love with you it’s not that hard.)

To Logan’s credit, he’d grown very good at covering it up. Honestly, if Roman hadn’t known him since freshman year of college, he wouldn’t have even noticed how flustered the guy was. Such is the life of the best friend of two pining gay dorks who refuse to listen to reason. 

“We’d best be heading to the restaurant. Lunch rush hour is approaching.” He disentangled himself from Patton and made for the door in his endearingly robotic fashion.

Patton sighed, watching him go with longing. He wasn’t the only one who was completely oblivious. 

Roman went to follow his friend, knowing full well that Logan would leave them both behind if they didn’t hurry, but Patton grabbed his wrist, looking troubled. “Hey, kiddo. Can I ask you something?”

Roman narrowed his eyes. “Sure, Padre. What’s up?”

“Does Logan hate me?”

Roman blinked. That was the last thing he was expecting. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I know he’s always really standoffish, but you seem to get him better than I do. I think he’s been avoiding me. He talks to you; did I offend him or something?” 

And if he hadn’t sworn on the grave of the Great Julie Andrews not to tell Patton, Roman would have laughed. Screw Logan’s stupid philophobia.

“Oh, Patton, that’s not it at all,” he groaned. “Lo… he takes a really long time to warm up to people. NOT that he hasn’t warmed up to you! Who couldn’t warm up to you? It’s just… well, you’ve only known him for 3 years. It took me the entirety of college to learn how to read him, and he’s still a mystery most of the time. Seriously though, he’s nothing if not rational. Talk to him whenever you can. The best way to get a feel for his emotions is to make physical contact. Like seriously, touch him as much as you can. Watch his reactions.”

Ok, so subtlety wasn’t his strong suit. To be fair, the two had been dancing around each other for 2 years now, and Roman was fucking tired.

Patton brightened. “You think?”

“I know. Now come on, Tall Specs is probably already there.”

  
  


Logan was indeed already there, and when Patton slid into the booth right next to him, leaving absolutely no space between them, he practically melted. Roman had to stifle his chuckle, and he barely succeeded. Logan shot him a death glare, as if he were silently asking, _what the fuck did you do?_

“I trust the two of you got… sidetracked?” he squeaked, barely maintaining his nonchalance.

Roman got an idea. “Uh, yeah! Patton wanted to know more about astronomy, so I told him you would obviously be the person to ask about that.” It wasn’t a complete lie. Patton had always had a profound interest in the stars. 

Patton’s eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly at Roman before turning back to Logan sheepishly. The nerd, ever the academic, smiled broadly at him, only slightly red. “I’d be more than willing to help you if you’d so wish.”

Blushing, Patton nodded. “Uh, yeah. That’d be… um, gay- I MEAN GREAT!”

Logan blushed even deeper and straightened as Patton settled his hands on the nerd’s lap. Seeing this, Patton’s eyes widened to the size of anime eyes, and he pulled his hands back again quickly, leaving a solid inch of space between the two. When he did this, Logan relaxed, but his face fell marginally for him, which was about a fraction of an inch for everyone else. Patton, of course, didn’t pick up on it, putting a huge damper on his good mood, one that even Logan could feel. 

They continued to banter awkwardly about stars and nostalgia and whatnot, but Roman tuned them out. He could do nothing to stop this train wreck. Instead, his thoughts shifted back to the graveyard, the strange man named Virgil, and Remus’s reaction. 

Remus was the best secret-keeper Roman knew. He’d hidden his sexuality from their extremely catholic, actively homophobic parents, as well as his brother’s. He’d had every teacher in high school call him a different name. He’d even faked his death for a full 3 years after he’d finished college. There was something different about this. What in the world could scare Remus?

“Ok, seriously Ro,” Patton said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “You’ve been really out of it this whole time. Did something happen?”

Roman pressed his lips together, unsure if it was wise to talk about what he’d seen over lunch of all things. Instead, he pried for information. “Has Remus ever told either of you anything about what happened in the years he went AWOL?”

Patton blinked. “I’m not sure, why?”

“It’s just weird. I didn’t think to question it, but three years is a long time to be gone. I’ve gotta wonder what he was doing all that time.”

Nodding, Logan squinted at nothing in particular. “It is odd that he’s never disclosed to us any information regarding his absence. Though I had previously ascertained that whatever it was may have been highly traumatic.”

“Where did you get that from?” Roman asked, and Logan looked pleased to be asked.

“Well, you are an exceptionally heavy sleeper, especially during college. When Remus first came to stay with us, I happened to notice that he frequently had very vivid nightmares that I would help him through every so often. His screams in the middle of the night woke me up, so it was the rational thing to do. During that time, he never told me what the dreams were about, or what had caused them, and I never asked.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me this until now? Lo, he’s my brother!”

“I’d assumed you already knew. He wasn’t making much of an effort to hide it, and you are his brother, after all. He acted as if they were perfectly natural; I’d thought maybe they were the products of a disharmonious childhood. Did he not have continuously restless nights as a child?”

“Not that I know of. Granted, I didn’t really want to be around him while he was asleep. Did he ever talk during his nightmares?”

“Occasionally. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence within trauma victims, however.”

“What did he say?”

Logan hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m at liberty to say. This is incredibly sensitive information that your brother seems to want private. Regardless, I’m not sure I’m comfortable telling you something this personal. If Remus hasn’t told you yet, it’s likely he doesn’t want you to know, and as his friend, I must respect that.”

Roman sighed. “Look, Lo, I get it. But I think something’s wrong, and Remus won’t tell me anything. I can’t help him if I don’t know sh-anything. Please tell me. For Remus more than myself.”

Logan looked unsure, but Patton cleared his throat. “I think it’s for the best, LoLo. I’ll leave if that’ll help.” Before Logan could protest, he’d hopped up and wandered toward the restroom.

Logan sighed to Roman’s utmost amusement. “What am I going to do about him?”

“As much as I love your constant ineptitude when it comes to love,” Roman said, “I think you were about to tell me something?”

Shaking off his disorientation, Logan furrowed his brow. “You’re sure this will help him?”

“Almost positive. Please?” 

After a moment’s deliberation, Logan nodded. “Alright. But discretion is key here. You mustn’t push him to explain any of it if he doesn’t want to.”

“Of course. What did he say?”

“Well, most of his words were unintelligible, but I recall that he seemed to repeat the name ‘Jay,’ as well as the phrase ‘you promised’ and several colourful swear words.”

Roman’s breath hitched. “That’s what he said in the graveyard.”

“Graveyard?”

He quickly filled Logan in on the morning’s events, and Logan seemed to grow more curious by the second. “That is indeed strange. You said he grew anxious at the identification?” Roman nodded. “Then there’s a decent possibility that Remus has encountered this individual in the past in less than ideal circumstances. I’ll see what Remus is willing to share; he’s more likely to listen to me than you. I wouldn’t worry about it for the time being.”

Roman was ready to argue, but Patton appeared right then, as if on cue, and it was apparent Logan’s thoughts were far from Remus at the moment. Patton was practically on his lap, and it was messing with both of their brains. “Heya, I’m back! Did I miss anything?”

Logan stuttered for a moment, the colour of a tomato. “Uh, quite a bit, actually. Roman has had quite the morning-”

“I’ll tell you later,” Roman interrupted. He was not ruining Patton’s lunch today.

“Okie then, kiddo! You know I’m here if you need to talk! Alright, where’s the menu?”

Just then, Roman’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Remus. 

**Rat Man:** the guy is stable, prob he’ll wake up in the next few hours

**Rat Man:** there’s a bit of trouble with the bill. You should get over here

Roman’s heart lurched. “Sorry guys, I gotta bail. Duty calls!”

Patton frowned. “Awwwww, do you have to?”

More desperate than sad, Logan stared him down. “Seriously, do you have to?”

Roman nodded. “Rain check?”

Both of them agreed solemnly, and Roman rushed out of the restaurant with more questions than answers.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Remus isn't doing as well as we'd thought...
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! leave a comment if you liked it because those seriously make my day y'all!


	4. Chapter 3: Who is Virgil Winch?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman heads back to the hospital, only to find things are getting stranger by the second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the moment you've been waiting for!  
> Sorry this took so long to get out, unfortunately these may take much longer as the chapters get longer from here, but I have written quite a few chapters in advance, just in case. Hope you all have a lovely day!
> 
> Tw: hospitals (written by someone whose experience with hospitals is a bit limited)  
> somewhat graphic images (a la Remus)  
> Swearing  
> Amnesia
> 
> if I missed anything or messed up the logistics of hospitalization, please let me know!

Roman got to the hospital in record time, stopping only to check into the front desk before rushing to find his brother. When he poked his head into the room, he stifled a gasp.

Without all of the dirt and blood, Virgil was eerily beautiful. He still looked terrifyingly pale and thin, but his delicate features shone like the pale moon, from the slender jaw to the small nose and the beautiful violet of his hair. It was hard to see why he wore such heavy makeup and clothing, at least according to his driver’s license.

It was almost as hard to see as why he was wearing a tank top and shorts in the dead of winter. This man was the opposite of what Roman expected time and time again.

“Bro, you’re staring,” Remus grunted, startling Roman. He hadn’t realised his brother was there. “You know, we have a strict policy against pervs.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “You could try being nice, you know. You might like it.”

“Let’s not risk it.” Remus walked over to his brother, wrapping him in a hug that was definitely a lot tighter than usual. Roman didn’t want to press, but could you blame him for being concerned?

When Remus finally let go, he went right into medical talk as usual. “His vitals are stable, but he has a major concussion and possible brain damage as well as a deep gash in his calf. Thank god it didn’t hit any muscle tissue, but he needs stitches. We went ahead with the procedure, but...” he trailed off, looking uncertain.

“But what?” Roman was tired of half-answers.

Remus closed his eyes, obviously reluctant. “We can’t find him on medical records. According to our database, he doesn’t exist.”

Roman nodded. "It’s the same with social media. It’s like he just appeared on earth today.”

Sighing, Remus mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. Roman frowned. “What was that?”

“Your ass.”

“That was… surprisingly unoriginal. Are you ok?”

To his surprise, Remus smiled. “I’m fine. Just tired.” But the smile was too small, too sweet. It wasn’t real.

“Hey, Re? Can I ask you a quick question?”

He tensed. “Depends on what it is.”

“Where were you after college? Where did you go? Sorry if it’s too personal, just had to ask.”

Remus turned back to him, looking less like a rat than ever. “I went to Antarctica,” he said matter-of-factly. “I went to work for some rich penguins who eat exclusively hamburgers made out of human muscle tissue, and I kept them well-fed for three years before they let me go.”

It took a moment for Roman to realise he was kidding. “Remus, I’m serious. It’s none of my business, but-”

“You’re right. It is none of your business.”

“Remus, I want to help!”

“And have you considered that I don’t need help?” he snapped. Roman recoiled. This wasn’t like Remus at all. He was crass, sure, vulgar and unpredictable, but he never lashed out unless someone was attacking his friends, and never so rationally. When Remus snapped, you could always expect some kind of outlandish threat. Roman was almost offended.

He settled on concerned. When _Remus_ didn’t have a joke, there had to be something seriously wrong.

Remus ran a hand through his hair. “Ro, I know you’re used to being the knight in shining armour or whatever, but seriously, we’re not kids anymore. I don’t need saving or anything. I’m in a slump, and I’ll fucking get over it. Don’t worry about me.”

Roman hesitated. He really didn’t want to let it go, but what else could he do. “Okay,” he muttered. “But I’m here if you need a shoulder to cry on. Don’t go disappearing on us again, promise?”

And just like that, his brother’s familiar grin was back, even if it did look a bit forced. “Promise.” Roman held out his arms and wrapped him in a tight hug.

Suddenly, a loud cough echoed through the room, and the two jumped back from each other, glancing around wildly.

“Not that this isn’t cute,” Virgil Winch croaked in a low, raspy voice, “but could one of you explain where the hell I am?”

Roman scrambled forward, face heating up. “Holy shit. Ok. Hi. How are you feeling?”

Remus was right behind him, eyes dancing with panic but otherwise deadly calm and holding his clipboard. He nodded, prodding his patient to answer Roman’s question.

“Pretty fucking shitty, thanks for asking.” He groaned as he tried to move.

“Where is your pain?” Remus wasted no time in formalities. Roman raised an eyebrow. His brother was never this formal or emotionless. It was almost like he was overcompensating for something.

Virgil clicked his tongue. “Mostly my legs and my head, but also my gut. And everything is sore.”

Carefully, Roman dropped his fingers next to Virgil’s, a silent but deliberate offer of comfort. Virgil stared at him, looking a bit scared, but laced their fingers together. Was it his imagination, or did he actually tighten the hold?

Remus didn’t acknowledge any of this, still looking panicked. “Could you tell us what your name is?”

With a roll of his eyes, Virgil opened his mouth to speak.

His breath caught in his throat. He narrowed his eyes, unconsciously squeezing Roman’s hand tightly. “I can’t- shit. I have one, don’t I? I can’t remember.” His voice dropped, as if he were only talking to himself. “Why can’t I remember?”

Roman practically melted. He would have hugged him if it weren’t for the iv and all of his injuries. The doctor still looked tense.

“What- can you tell me exactly how much you remember about yesterday?”

Virgil bit his lip, growing more nervous by the second. “I don’t- what’s wrong with me?”

“A week ago?”

He shook his head, still dumbstruck.

“A month? A year? 4 years?”

Virgil was strangling Roman’s hand by then, but he couldn’t care less. The poor guy. After a moment, he shook his head. “Nothing. What happened?”

Roman rubbed his thumb soothingly against Virgil’s wrist. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m sure Remus has a perfectly reasonable explanation.” He turned back to his brother, hoping he didn’t just lie to this scared angel.

Remus looked relieved more than anything, something Roman hadn’t expected in the slightest. “My best guess? Post-traumatic retrograde amnesia caused by direct trauma to the hippocampus.” At both of their blank stares, he sighed. “He hit his head really fucking hard and he’s lost his memory for the moment. We’d have to do an MRI scan, but I’m pretty sure they’ll come back. Eventually.”

Roman nodded. “See? That’s… good news! You’ll be fine, I swear it. I found your license, okay? Here.”

He handed over the card, and Virgil studied it desperately. “Is any of that…” the prince trailed off. “Does any of that ring a bell?”

Virgil shook his head as Remus said, “I don’t think it would. I’m not the bitch to talk to, but as far as I know, declarative memory doesn’t come back that fast. It could be days or weeks or yea-”

Roman shushed him. “I’m sure it’ll be back soon. For now, just rest, ok, Virgil?”

“What do you know about me?” he asked timidly. “You have to know something.”

Roman exchanged a troubled look with Remus. “We… we can’t find anything. There’s no record of you anywhere. I’m sorry. We’ll keep looking, don’t worry. We’ll figure this all out, I promise you.”

But Virgil’s eyes were wide, breathing sporadic. “What about the bill? And- and after? Where can I go? Wh-what if I have people depending on me? My-my job?”

Roman reached cautiously for the frightened man’s other hand, not taking it, only offering. “Breathe, Virgil. It’s all going to be alright. The people in your life will find you, and until then… you can stay with us. We have an extra room.” Remus startled, then opened his mouth to object, but Roman silenced him with a glare. “I’ll cover the bill, I have the money to spare. Don’t you worry about a thing, Virgil. You’re not alone.”

Virgil squinted suspiciously, but his breathing steadied a little. “Why should I trust you? I don’t even know your fucking name, and your friend really doesn’t seem to want me around.”

Remus hissed playfully, but the panic and nerves were still right below the surface. “Bold of you to assume he’s my friend,” he deadpanned.

Roman shoved him. “Ignore Remus, he’s in a bad mood. I’m Roman. Roman Prince. This is my brother, Jerky McJerkface. As for how you can trust us… um, I don’t really have anything. Um… ooh, I know!” He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Virgil. “Here is my heart and soul. The password is 774629. Of course, I’ll need it back, but for the next 10 minutes you have free range of my entire life. Will that work?”

Virgil stared at the phone in his hands, dumbstruck. “You… don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. You’ve been through so much, the least I can do is make you feel like someone is there for you.”

“Roman?” Remus asked, his calm disposition fading faster by the moment. “Can I talk to you? Outside?”

Confused and a bit irritated, Roman followed his brother out the room and into the hallway.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he whisper-shouted. “Look, I know you physically can’t go 2 minutes without flirting, but could you not fill my patients with false hope?”

Roman huffed. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about statistics, Ro. Most people found alone on the side of the road ran away or got kicked out. People don’t go looking for them, ok? You can’t go around sugarcoating the truth and telling someone that people he can’t even remember are coming for him. For all you know, anyone who lo- cares about him is gone.”

“Well, we can try, can’t we? I could post something on Instagram; I have like 50,000 followers. They could probably find Virgil’s friends and family pretty quick-”

“No!”

Roman flinched, and Remus softened, just a little. “Don’t do that. You don’t know what his life was like. If he ran away, chances are he doesn’t want to be found. We have to respect his privacy.”

“Well then, what do we do?”

Remus seemed to be weighing their options. He shrugged, looking hesitant but resigned. “I guess… we’ll take him in until he remembers. That’s what we do, isn’t it?”

Roman inhaled sharply. “Remus, seriously, what do you have against this guy? Do you know who he is?”

He shook his head frantically. “No, definitely not. But he’s not Virgil Winch, and he can’t tell us who he is… who knows what could happen if we let him in?” He raised a hand, waving off Roman’s immediate knee-jerk defense. “I mean, of course we’re going to let him stay with us, all I’m saying is be careful. You have a tendency to get attached quickly and be willing to die for someone in a week, but with amnesia patients? They could disappear the moment they remember, or they could be serial killers or stray gang members… just, hold back on the flirting, would you? In this case, you might actually end up dying for him.”

Laughing, Roman hummed in agreement. “Bro, I’m not an idiot. I don’t just fall in love with every random guy off the streets. I just want to help him, that’s all.”

“Um, Roman?” Virgil called from the other room. “You got a call from your professor.”

“Speaking of which,” Roman mumbled, slipping back into the room. “Who did you say called?”

Virgil looked nervous again. “Uh, it says ‘teach’ with a nerd emoji and a blue heart?”

“Oh, good.” Virgil handed him the phone quickly, and Roman accepted the call. “Whaddup, nerd. How’s it going with Small specs? You two dating yet?”

He could hear his friend’s faint blush and eye roll through the phone. “You know we’re not. That’s not why I called.”

“Oh? To what do I owe the pleasure of this conversation?”

“I’ve looked into that name, Virgil Winch. I can’t find anyone under that name who was born after 1920.”

Roman covered the microphone. “Are you sure you’re not 100 years old?”

Virgil looked at him like he was an idiot. “Um, yeah, I’m pretty fucking sure I didn’t live through World War 2, thanks for checking in.”

He nodded and got back to Logan. “Unless Captain America is scientifically accurate, I’m going to say that’s not the Virgil Winch we’re looking for. Anything else?”

“The place of residence on the card was put up for sale just this morning. The current owner is a man named Mitchell Meyers. I looked into him as well; he has quite the criminal record, but no connection to anyone named Winch. In fact, the only connection he seems to have is a joint bank account with one Elliott Meyers, his apparent spouse. I cannot find any further information on Elliott, but I’ll send you the link to Mitchell’s Instagram page.”

Roman had to refrain from squealing. They finally had some kind of lead! “Thanks, tol specs. That’s awesome.”

“All in a day’s work,” he said, but Roman could hear the edge of pettiness in his voice.

They were silent for a moment before Roman finally caved, thanking his friend once again and indulging his craving for validation. Logan rattled off a quick dismissal, but his tone shone with pride. Roman couldn’t help but grin.

The line went dead, and Roman smiled at Virgil, handing his phone back. Then stopped.

Staring back up at him from the screen was a shirtless photo of himself, smiling off into the distance.

“Were you-” his voice caught in his throat. “Were you on my Tinder profile?”

Virgil turned red. “N-no…” he murmured, then quieter, “maybe… was that off limits?”

“Of course not, I gave you my phone for a reason, but…” he trailed off, feeling his own face grow hot. “I didn’t think you liked that kind of stuff.”

“Uh, I- well, yeah. I mean obviously. I lost my memory, not my taste.”

Roman’s brain stalled like a fucking car engine. After stammering incoherently for a few seconds, he finally managed a somewhat coherent sentence. “O-oh, well then, um.” Shit. This is exactly what Remus had warned him against. “I’ve just gotta go… my friends are waiting for me.”

He ignored Remus’s smug look as he rushed out of the door. He was not going to do this to himself, especially when the guy was probably drowsy and not thinking straight.

He only turned back when Virgil called, “Roman, wait.” He was skittish, maybe a little anxious.

“Yes?”

“Can you come back tomorrow?”

Roman softened at the innocence in his voice. He could tell the guy wasn’t totally comfortable around Remus, and he honestly couldn’t blame him. Remus was acting weirder than usual. If nothing else, Roman could be there.

“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmmmm....
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Leave a comment and a Kudo if you liked it!


	5. Chapter 4: a meetup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton and Logan meet Virgil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here! Have some Patton! Have some Prinxiety! Maybe I can brighten up your day a little!
> 
> tw: hospitals (but mostly just as setting there isn't much attention paid to it)  
> social anxiety  
> mild descriptions of injury/pain
> 
> Okay have fun!

The moment Patton started squealing, Roman was sure he’d made a horrible mistake.

Logan had filled Patton in on Virgil’s sudden arrival into their lives soon after Roman had left, so when the actor finally got home from a particularly stressful afternoon rehearsal, he was immediately tackled to the ground. Patton may have been small, but his momma bear strength was absolutely terrifying. 

“Roman Elizabeth Prince!” he’d shouted. Roman had opened his mouth to protest that his middle name was not, in fact, Elizabeth, but Patton had cut him off. “You found a kid in need and you didn’t even tELL ME?”

Patton was a kindergarten teacher, but his moms had been well-known surgeons coming from already rich families, so he was quite well-off from the start. Ever since he was old enough to understand that many people were a lot less fortunate, he’d been helping everyone he could possibly reach, offering money and support to practically anyone that would take it. So yeah. He wanted to help Virgil.

Once he’d finally calmed down enough to let Roman off the floor, Roman explained the situation in its entirety and everything they knew. Of course, Patton had begged to come with him on his next journey to the hospital. Roman had been hesitant, but with both of his friends staring at him expectantly (Logan looked like he’d murder him if he made their shorter friend upset), he had no choice but to give in. 

But now that they were here, now that Patton was barrelling toward Virgil with the grace of an arthritic elephant, Roman was seriously starting to regret it.

Virgil’s eyes widened as Patton threw himself over him, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Oh my, you’re just precious, aren’t you?” he gushed, talking faster than a bullet. “You must be Virgil, it’s so nice to meet you! I’m Patton, but you can call me Pat! Do you need anything? Water? Food? Just ask, kiddo, I’m here to help.” 

Roman inched toward the two, noticing how tense Virgil was. “Uh, Pat? Don’t come on too strong, okay? You’re- holding on a little too tight there.”

With a start, Patton pulled away sheepishly. “Oh! Sorry about that, kiddo. It’s just great to meet you!”

Virgil stared at him in shock, relaxing only minorly when Roman joined them. “Um,” he said, voice squeaking, “who are you?”

Sighing, Roman looped an arm around Patton’s waist. He thought he saw a tiny change in Virgil’s expression at this, though it was gone in a blink. “This is my roommate, Patton. I probably should have warned you about him. He’s a bit… excitable.”

“You betcha! Ro told us all about you, and I just want you to know that I am here for you if you need anything!” He giggled, turning to Roman. “You were right, he _is_ handsome!” 

Roman’s breath caught in his throat. Virgil was turning redder by the second. Behind them, Logan let out a small noise halfway between a sigh and a squeak. Remus snorted from the doorway.

Patton kept talking as if nothing had happened. “Oh! Before I forget, Lolo, do you have the present?” He didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing the colourful bag out of Logan’s loose grip and planting an ecstatic kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, you’re the best!”

Roman shot Logan a pitying glance as he nearly fell forward. Remus rushed over, steadying him and lessening the impact of the kiss with his own peck on the forehead. When he’d finally calmed down enough, Logan rolled his eyes, but even Roman couldn’t miss his murmured “thanks.”

“Oh my god…” Virgil mumbled, drawing Roman’s attention back to him. He was holding a small, rectangular box with reverence. “Patton-”

“Please, call me Pat. Or dad. Whatever you want, whatever makes you comfortable.”

“-I can’t accept this. I don’t even know you.”

Patton shook his head, opening the box and pressing the brand new phone into Virgil’s reluctant hands. “I insist. Come on, it’s the least I can do.”

“You guys keep saying that,” he muttered. “Why do you care?”

“Why shouldn’t we?” Roman shot back. “You need help, we can help you; I’m not sure what you don’t get about that. Besides, now you can text me if you need me instead of going through Remus.”

Hesitating, Virgil looked at Roman. Roman stared back, trying to convey his thoughts. He really didn’t want to see Patton in a bad mood, and neither did Virgil. Besides, he wanted to be there for Virgil, to get to know him and offer a helping hand. This wasn’t like his endless wheelhouse of crushes; he wanted to know Virgil and help Virgil know himself. If he could make the emo happy for even one text conversation, that would be enough.

Virgil seemed to get the message, or some sort of message at the very least, for he closed his eyes and graciously accepted the phone.“Thank you, Patton.”

Patton squealed, grabbing Virgil’s hands excitedly and jumping up and down. “Oh my gosh, of course! Ok all of our numbers are in there if you need us, it’s all set up for ya! If you need anything ever just call me up, and if you need tech support or anything you can text Logan. Oh, this is Logan by the way, he’s our other roommate!” Roman winced at the edge of longing in Patton’s voice. If only he could come to terms with why exactly the word ‘roommate’ didn’t feel quite right. 

The panic in Virgil’s eyes was back tenfold. Quickly, Roman grabbed Patton’s arms and pulled them away from Virgil. “Hey, Padre, why don’t you take tol specs and Remus outside so you can get the lowdown on his situation? While you’re at it, grab us some snacks.”

If possible, Patton’s face brightened even more. “That’s a great idea, Ro! We’ll be right back!” And with that, he spun around and rushed out, dragging Logan and Remus with him.

Virgil released a shaky breath, and Roman took a small step closer, leaving a good foot of space between them. “I’m sorry about him,” the prince muttered. “Pat means well, he’s just… very touch oriented.”

“Good to know. Thanks for the save.” Virgil shifted uncomfortably in the bed, splaying out his right hand in a not-so-subtle invitation. With a small smile, Roman placed his own hand in Virgil’s, who immediately tightened the grip. “He seems nice, just a bit too much at once, you know?”

Roman nodded. “I forgot how crazy he can get around new people if Logan isn’t there physically holding him back.”

“Yeah, they really like each other, don’t they?” he chuckled.

“It’s honestly becoming a problem. Logan is the only inch of common sense we have, but now every time Pat comes into the room… I'm sick of being the rational one.”

“If you’re what counts as rational here, we’re all in trouble.”

Roman gasped dramatically. “Am I not rational enough for you?”

Clicking his tongue, Virgil tapped a sarcastic finger to his chin. “Well, let’s see. You brought a complete stranger into your life, offered him your house and complete access to your deepest, darkest secrets, and called him cute in front of your scatter-brained friend. Something tells me your left brain isn’t the strongest.”

Roman blushed furiously. “I-oh, shut up.”

“Ah, so you agree?”

“Agree?”

“You admit you think I’m cute.” It wasn’t a question, and Roman was trapped. 

“I-I mean-” Oh, fuck it. Not like he could hide it. He huffed, trying to relax. “Of course I do. You’re gorgeous, Virgil.” 

It was Virgil’s turn to blush. “Jesus, Ro. I was kidding. You don’t have to lie to me.”

“I’m not lying. You’re beautiful.”

Someone started to cough on the other side of the door, and Roman turned to glare at his brother, who he was sure was listening to them. He was just telling the truth, not flirting. He wasn’t getting attached. Of course not.

“Um,” Virgil said, and Roman whipped his head back around. “Does your brother have a problem with me? He’s been nice enough, but he keeps looking at me like I ruined his life or something.”

Roman bit his lip. “I’m not sure, to be perfectly honest. I wish he’d tell me anything. He’s been acting weird ever since he came back.”

“Came back?”

“Oh! Yeah, a little context would be good, duh. When we were kids, Remus was always a bit… eccentric. I looked up to him for the longest time. He never really cared what people said about him, and I always wanted to be like that. But yeah, everyone used to think he was a bit creepy and gross. Still, we were close. He told me all of the crazy thoughts running through his head and I told him my hopes and dreams.

“Then, after he finished college, he faked his death and disappeared for 3 years. He won’t tell us anything about it, but he’s different now. I mean, he’s still weird as shit, but he acts a lot more scared about it. Doesn’t really do it in public, only around us.” He lowered his voice in case Remus was listening. “I’m a bit scared for him, actually. He’s never been this subdued.”

Virgil’s brow furrowed. “This is subdued? He tried to calm me down by assuring me that at least I’m not being crushed limb by limb by an elephant.”

Roman chuckled. “Yeah, that’s one of his favourites. Strange that he already trusts you enough to talk to you like that. Like I said, he’s insane. But he’s one of the best people I know, no matter how much he’ll deny it.”

“He really cares about you.”

Roman blinked, startled. “What do you mean?” 

“He’s always talking about you, always right behind you. Half the time it looks like he’s getting ready to jump in front of a bullet for you. It’s kind of adorable.”

And Roman thought his cheeks were hot before. “You got that from a day?”

“Well, yeah,” Virgil mumbled, turning a little red himself. “I mean, it’s not like it isn’t obvious. You two are clearly really close.”

Roman smiled sadly. “Yeah, we… we’ve had to be.” He cleared his throat. He didn’t want to dampen the mood. “Anyway, how’re you feeling?”

Virgil’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t press thankfully. “Um, I’m fine. Remus set me up for a few amnesia tests, but I don’t think they can do much since they don’t have any records to match my memory up against. He did set up an MRI scan for tomorrow, so that should do… something, I guess? I’m not really sure.

“How’s your leg?”

“Still hurts, not as much as yesterday though. Apparently it was deep enough that I won’t be able to walk well for a while.” At Roman’s immediate concern, he waved dismissively. “It’s fine. Not like I have anywhere to go, and Remus said I can walk with a cane in a week or so.”

Roman nodded, a little alarmed. “I’m glad. What could’ve even done something like that?”

Shrugging, Virgil said, “If I knew that, this would be a completely different situation.”

Before Roman could respond, he heard a crash from behind. “I’m okay!” Patton chirped, stumbling into the room. “Re, that wasn’t important, was it?”

Remus rushed into the room, assessing the damage with a small smirk. “It’s just a little water, Pat.”

Patton sighed, relieved, and rushed over to the hospital bed, thankfully not touching Virgil. “Hey again, kiddo! I brought ya some cookies!” He pulled a pastel pink paper bag out of nowhere and shoved it into Virgil’s free hand, eyeing the other hand giddily. “You can eat them later. I see you have your hand _full._ ”

Roman blushed, realising he was still holding tightly to Virgil’s hand. Remus made a noise that sounded a lot like a wheeze. Even Logan smiled slightly as he crept into the room. Virgil’s grip only tightened. 

“Thanks, Patton,” he mumbled. 

Somehow, Patton lit up even more. Roman was honestly scared his friend might explode. “Of course! Hey, Re says you’ll be out of here in a week. Wanna go shopping with me?”

Virgil stared at him. “What?”

“Well, I just thought since you don’t have any clothes with you and we have to find stuff to decorate your room and make you feel more at home. There’s a really good mall like 3 miles from the apartment.

Virgil glanced up at Roman, who nodded encouragingly. Next week was tech week for his current production of Dear Evan Hansen, so he most definitely couldn’t go. But if he could help Virgil get comfortable with Patton, he’d do anything. 

“Hey, LoLo! What about you?” Patton chirped, startling Logan out of his thoughts. “Wanna come? They’ve got a huge bookstore!”

Logan looked borderline mortified, which to the rest of the world was equivalent to slight concern. Roman shot him a look that said _go with him or I will hide your signed copy of The Art of Logic._ Logan seemed to weigh his options before sighing. “I suppose.”

Patton bounced on the balls of his feet. “Yay! Remus?”

Remus clicked his tongue. “Sorry, pop-sicle, I got things to do.” He didn’t specify what exactly ‘things’ entailed, and they all knew better than to ask by now. 

“Alrighty then! Just me, you, and Logie!”

Virgil’s expression flickered for a moment, but he simply nodded. “It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment or kudo if you enjoyed!
> 
> (Also don't worry I promise the angst is coming soon)


	6. Chapter 5: Coffee and Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to a nearby coffee shop and runs into an old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry, it's been over a month, but hopefully I'll be back on track soon!  
> this one is a bit cringy but whatever I like it  
> (and yes we're back in a coffee shop because I can't help myself you're welcome)  
> Anyway happy Valentines Day!
> 
> TW: mentions of cheating  
> swearing  
> descriptions of death  
> mentions of blood  
> mentions of funerals  
> descriptions of murder  
> crying  
> really awkward dialogue

It took quite a bit of negotiating, but Patton was able to convince Remus to come with them to their favourite coffee shop that night for some hot chocolate. When Patton had come to live with them after college, he, Logan, and Roman had made this venture a sort of weekly tradition, but the doctor hardly ever joined them. Hot chocolate was a surefire way to lose what little filter he had left, and he’d apparently decided long ago he would do his best not to soil his sweet friend’s innocence. 

Still, if Patton wanted you to come with him bad enough, even Remus didn’t stand a chance.

That was how they ended up outside of a dark cafe in the dead of night, staring blankly at a sign that read ‘closed for construction.’

“Oh no!” Remus cried sarcastically. “Our plans have been foiled! Guess we’ll just have to go to a bar and get blackout drunk instead!”

He did try, but Remus was still Remus.

Roman shoved him. “Nonsense! There has to be another coffee shop open at 12:30! Logan?”

“Already found it,” Logan sighed, scrolling through Google Reviews. “Beanies. A block away. Known for 24 hour service and infamous for snarky baristas.”

Patton nodded his head vigorously. “Sounds perfect! Thanks Lo!”

Logan froze, hoping the cold was enough an excuse to ignore the growing rosiness of his cheeks. “It is of absolutely no consequence,” he mumbled back, keeping his eyes glued to his phone determinedly.

“To Beanies we go!” Roman said, his grin effusive in his voice alone. 

  
  


Roman and Logan arrived at the cafe much before the other two; they were both incredibly fast walkers and easily left the other pair behind. 

Logan’s mind was far from their destination, however. His ‘crush,’ as Roman would call it, on Patton was becoming much more than an inconvenience. It had gotten to the point that the lawyer could hardly focus on a case. Emotions were consuming his every thought. It didn’t help, of course, that the cause of such strong emotions had figuratively ‘kicked it up a notch.’

“You ok there, Lo?” Roman asked, pulling him out of his thoughts enough to realise he was walking too fast for even his friend to keep pace. He slowed down just enough to walk beside him. 

“Feelings,” Logan growled back. Roman was certainly much more adept at handling things on the spectrum of touchy-feely, but what could he know about his fears?

“Ah. Smol specs got that smol heart of yours growing three sizes?”

“That is anatomically impossible and definitely fatal-”

“Stop avoiding the question with your anatomy. You got yourself a classic case of the feels, Mr. Roboto.”

Logan huffed. Roman never knew when to move on. It was one of Logan’s favourite things about him. “He keeps touching me. It’s like he’s trying to disrupt the function of my prefrontal cortex!”

“I don’t know what that means, but it sounds like he’s trying to tell you he likes you.”

“Falsehood! Physical contact could indicate dozens if not hundreds of possible emotions and circumstances. Trust me, I’ve researched it. There is absolutely no way you can force me to reveal my feelings unless you have conclusive proof, which you will never have because it is nonexistent. I have resigned myself to… how do you put it? Suffering in silence.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because this is silent. Look, maybe you should try touching him back, gauging his response. It’s just like science. Test your hypothesis, do the research, come to a conclusion.”

Logan eyed him, weighing his argument suspiciously. Feelings were sporadic and complicated, but science was simple. Even if he wasn’t the most comfortable with physical contact, he could do this for science. And for his friend, who seemed to grow more exasperated with his plight daily. “You’re right.”

Sighing, Roman muttered, “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I have good ideas sometimes.”

Instantly, Logan’s head snapped up, and he turned to face Roman. This was the worst problem with not understanding emotion; he could never quite know if a statement would hurt his friends. “Of course you have good ideas, Roman. I’m sorry, I value your opinion greatly. You know how much I despise being a novice. I seem to have taken my frustration out on you. I sincerely apologise.”

Roman’s lip twitched. “Did you just admit you were wrong?”

Logan’s eyes widened as they reached Beanies, and he yanked the door open quickly. “After you, halfwit.”

“That’s the robot I know and love.” Roman grinned, slipping through the doorway.

The cafe was near empty; the only person in it was a scrawny man behind the counter. It was a nice, tidy place, with fairy lights adorning every inch of the walls. Logan coughed loudly, alerting the barista of their presence. “Excuse me, are you still open?”

The stranger groaned, turning to face them but not looking up from his phone. “The door is open, isn’t it? Gimme a sec, babe, my boyfriend is being adorable.”

Roman’s breath hitched. Logan watched as his friend took a cautious step forward, eyes widening. “Remy?” he asked.

The man in question froze. His head flicked up, and he flung his glasses off. “Shit,” he muttered, before plastering on a panicked smile. “Roman, honey! What are you doing here? Not killing me, I hope?”

Logan’s gaze flickered between the two, unhappily confused. “Roman, why does this man think you have a vendetta against him?”

“Because he does, hot stuff,” Remy said. He sounded near hysterical, one emotion Logan could pick up on with ease. He turned his gaze to the nerd inquisitively. “You’re new. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ro out and about without-”

The bell on the door jingled, and the shop was suddenly filled with cheerful laughter. Remy looked just about ready to blink out of existence.

“Fancy seeing you two here!” Patton laughed. “What are we doing just standing arou-oh.” His eyes locked on Remy, widening to the size of quarters. 

“Patton,” Remy finished, sounding resigned. “And Remus. Yup. This is what I really needed at one am. Look, guys, I am a different person now, okay? Not that that makes up for anything, I was an absolute bitch, but I am much less of a bitch now, and a very different kind of bitch at the very least.”

Remus stepped in front of Patton protectively as Roman took another step closer, but Patton spoke up before either could do a thing. 

“Re, Ro, it’s fine. Relax.” He kept his gaze friendly. “Hey, Rem. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

Remy blinked. “Uh, yeah. Sorry I didn’t return your calls, I just kinda assumed seven years was a bit too late to apologise.”

“There’s nothing to apologise for. We were stupid kids who made some mistakes, that’s it. I forgave you a long time ago.”

Remus hissed in protest, but Patton just laughed and reached up to ruffle his hair.

“Patton?” Logan asked. “Would you care to explain who this man is?”

He caught a light blush dance across Patton’s face before he said, “Sorry, Lo. This is Remy, my… my ex-boyfriend.”

The barista waved timidly. “Hey, gurl.”

It was as if a figurative bus had just rammed directly into Logan’s chest. Somehow, it had never occurred to him that Patton may have had previous partners. Especially if it was clear they hadn’t ended on the best of terms. “Come again?” 

Roman sighed. “Summer before junior year, Padre and Miss Caffeine-is-my-only-personality-trait here went out, and I warned him that if he broke Pat’s heart, I’d kill him.”

“And no one would ever have found the body,” Remus growled. “Unfortunately, Patton decided he didn’t want a bloody severed cheater head mounted on his wall. What a shame; I bought that morning star for nothing.”

“Why am I not surprised you meant that literally?” Remy said.

“So, to clarify, Remy cheated on Patton?” Logan was practically fuming.

Patton gave him a small smile, and his face started to heat up. This was getting tedious. “To be fair, we both wanted very different things. And yeah, there were probably better ways to tell me that, but that was seven years ago. I’ve let go.” He set a stern look onto his face and stared down the two brothers. “Can you guys let go too? I really want some hot cocoa right now.”

Neither of them moved. “He made you cry though,” Roman said softly.

“Yeah. So did the end of Steven Universe. So did Remus’s funeral. So did dissecting frogs in the seventh grade. It’s in the past, Ro. I’m happy now.” He glanced over to Logan briefly, gaze softening. “That’s what matters.”

Remus softened at the mention of his funeral. Through some sort of unspoken rule, they all avoided the topic vehemently. Logan didn’t know much of the details, only that it had happened in their senior year of high school. He’d spent many a night comforting Roman during their freshman year of college, but he’d never gotten many details of the actual ceremony or the cause of the supposed death, not even from Remus himself. The subject had become taboo. To hear Patton speak of it so flippantly really seemed to put things into perspective for the chaotic pair.

It seemed to have the opposite effect, however, on Remy. “Hold up. Funeral? What the hell did I miss by being an asshole in high school?”

Patton smiled. “Language.”

“Oh, shi-oot, sorry, forgot,” Remy chuckled. “What can I get you babes?”

“Can me and Ro have a hot chocolate?”

Remus grinned. “I’ll take a hot chocolate with 5 shots of espresso?” 

Patton sighed but didn’t protest, most likely too aware of how futile it was. Remy nodded and turned to Logan. “How bout you, teacher crush?”

Beside him, he saw Patton bite his lip in the adorable way he did when he was particularly emotional. Every inch of him seemed to ignite. 

“I’ll have what Remus is having,” he said. This was going to be a long night. 

  
  


“So let me get this straight,” Remy laughed, finishing up on their drinks. 

“Good luck with that,” Roman snorted, and Logan rolled his eyes to suppress a smile. He’d never thought he could enjoy puns, but he’d been slowly warming up to them, or at least getting used to them, since he’d met Patton. 

Remy clicked his tongue. “Touché. But still, you’re telling me that Re just up and vanished and neither of you thought he might be faking it?”

“To be perfectly fair, it was very realistic,” Remus said. He didn’t elaborate. The nerd had learned to understand his mannerisms much more efficiently than the other two. He was avoiding the topic, trying to hint at gory specifics to attract attention away from the figurative elephant in the room.

Logan couldn’t imagine why, but he decided he would assist. “Oh? What substitute did you use for blood? I should hope you didn’t utilise the ‘real deal.’”

Remus shot him a grateful glance and grinned wickedly. “Actually-”

“How have you been, Remy?” Roman interrupted, clearly not prepared to talk about this. His brother’s plan had been a success.

Remy slid out from behind the counter, carrying a tray of five colourful mugs. “Pretty fucking- uh, freaking- gay hon, not gonna lie.” He started to set down the mugs. “Espresso cocoa for Remus, basic straight person cocoa for Ro, another gay cocoa for the new guy, and dutch cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon by the stick for Pat. And pure, sweet espresso for myself. Did I get that right?”

Logan felt a strong pang in his chest as Patton’s jaw dropped. “Woah, Rem, how do you still remember my order?”

Remy laughed. “Course, P. Most of our dates were at Starbucks, and they weren’t exactly forgettable.”

Roman and Remus rolled their eyes, but Patton’s grin widened. “Yeah. Yeah, those were fun times. I almost miss them, honestly.”

Logan bit his lip. Something felt wrong here, something about the apparent intimacy of the ex-lovers. It didn’t settle well with the nerd at all. What was this feeling?

“Careful there, Pat,” Remy teased. “Your boyfriend is getting a bit jealous over there, and the last thing I need is another person out for my blood.”

At first, Logan didn’t quite register the comment. His only thought was, ‘ah, jealousy. That’s what it is.’

And then the word boyfriend hit him with the force of a meteorite.

Wide-eyed, he turned to Patton, whose face was flushed, and then to Remy, who was smirking at him mirthfully.

“Uh,” Logan said. It was the only thing he could think to say.

Patton turned back to Remy with a slightly terrified expression. “Logan isn’t my boyfriend,” he said quickly. “Where-where did you get that from? We’re not like that- we’d never- I mean, not like I would- I don’t- um-” he trailed off, shrinking into his coat.

If you’d asked the nerd a month ago if heartbreak was a biological phenomenon, he would have laughed. But no, at the moment, his anatomical heart was bursting. Was the thought of a romantic relationship with him so repulsive to Patton?

Roman stepped in at that moment much like the fairy tale princes he was so fond of. “Hey, Lo, can you brief me on what you’ve found out about Virgil? Outside?” 

Nodding, Logan rushed out of the door and into the cold. 

When they were out of sight of the other three, Roman tugged him into a hug. Logan usually hated unnecessary physical contact, but this felt right. He sank into Roman’s embrace, suddenly finding it much harder to breathe.

They didn’t talk; Logan had no words to describe his thoughts. Roman raked his fingers through his friend’s hair, humming a slow tune from a musical the nerd thought might’ve been Next to Normal, the one musical he found he could appreciate. They stood there in the snow for long enough that the back of Logan’s mind stopped counting, and when he pulled away, his face was wet. 

“I’m sorry, Lo,” Roman whispered. “Patton is emotional, he doesn’t mean it like that. He likes to preach feelings all day long, but when it comes to his own… just promise me you’ll talk with him, like actually talk? Not even about this, just don’t cut him out of your life. We both know that doesn’t work.”

Logan rolled his eyes, pulling himself back up to full height. “You take pity on one art major who won’t go away, and this is what happens.”

Roman grinned. “You love me, admit it.”

“I’m not touching him,” Logan said, and Roman’s smile slipped. “I think we have all of the evidence we need that my feelings are not quite mutual.”

“Lo-”

“I think it’s high time we went back inside.” Without another word, he wiped away the tears and walked briskly back into the cafe.

“-mall, right by my house,” Remy was saying. “Emy’s working that day, but my schedule’s clear.”

Roman cleared his throat, bringing everyone’s attention to them. “What did we miss?”

Patton smiled, but something wasn’t right about it. His eyes didn’t shine as bright as they used to. Though Logan tried to catch his eye, he kept his gaze firmly on Roman. “We were just telling Remy about Virgil, and he was telling us about his new boyfriend!” His enthusiasm sounded more like one of Logan’s attempts at emotions.

Remus grimaced. “For the record, telling him everything was not my idea.” He shot Remy a look. 

Patton reached for his hand, giving it a small squeeze. “Come on, kiddo. Make like Elsa and Let it Go. Anyway, Rem is coming to the mall with us!”

Freezing, Logan glanced over at the smug barista. “Is he? That’s… adequate.”

Remy raised a cocky eyebrow. “And what could that word possibly mean, sexy dictionary?”

Still not looking at anyone, Patton bit his lip, looking uneasy. Logan quickly brushed it off. “Satisfactory. And I’m not a dictionary. Dictionaries can be shut at will, unlike my mouth, as has been pointed out to me time and time again.”

Remy snorted, and Patton’s smile finally reached his eyes. “Dad joke,” he teased softly. 

Fighting to morph his growing smile into a fake expression of discontent, he muttered. “Darn. That wasn’t intentional.” No one needed to know that it most definitely was. No one needed to know that they’d been intentional ever since he’d realised how happy it made his short friend. No one needed to know his smile often carried Logan through the day.

No. He couldn’t be thinking about Patton like that anymore. It wasn’t fair to either of them. 

“I’m not ‘sexy,’ either.”

Remy rolled his eyes. “Sure, hot stuff. Let’s test that hypothesis. Everyone, raise your hand if you think Logan is sexy.” His hand shot into the air.

Remus smirked and raised his hand as well. Shocked, Logan turned to see Roman shrug behind him, hand already up. 

At Logan’s expression, Roman clicked his tongue. “Dude, come on. Why do you think you always get free drinks at Starbucks?”

Logan gawked. “Because I am a loyal customer!”

“Because they want you to be a loyal customer in their beds,” Remus snorted. Logan’s head whipped back to him but caught on Patton. He was glaring at Remy, red in the face with anger or embarrassment the nerd didn’t know. His hands stayed firmly on his mug. 

Quickly, he took a sip and set the cup down, then stood. “It was great seeing you again, Rem,” he said with forced cheerfulness, “but we should really get going. It is Friday morning, after all, and we’ve all got jobs to get to later. I’ll text you when we’re going to the mall, kay?” He didn’t wait for an answer, dashing to the exit without a glance Logan’s direction.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe.... I love my logicality boys  
> (don't worry the plot is on its way.... actually maybe you should worry....)  
> Leave a comment or a kudo if you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 6: The Mall, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an odd talk with Remus, Virgil is finally discharged from the hospital and has an... interesting day at the mall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so I'm a week late but I'm trying to work on it sorryyyyy  
> this chapter is so long that it got broken into three parts so that's going to be... fun  
> (Hang in there I promise you it's worth it (; just 2 more chapters.....)  
> anyways have an amazing day and I hope you enjoy!

One thing Virgil knew about himself was that one week was too long to stay still. By the time Remus cleared him to leave that next Monday, he was about ready to run a marathon. Hospitals left little for him to fidget with, and he was too scared of the doctors to ask for anything to keep his hands busy. He’d managed to get hold of a pen and a legal pad though, and he’d filled it halfway with doodles before even that had gotten boring. Now, he was stuck just finding something on his phone to occupy him, but it just didn’t feel right. He needed to be moving. Just the thought of staying there another half hour made him want to scream.

Remus cleared his throat, coming over to check his vitals. Virgil watched as he flashed him a grin that was far too bright for his face. “Alright!” he chirped, sounding more like Patton than himself. “The good news is you still have blood!”

Virgil blinked. “Um… that’s great? What’s the bad news?”

“Bad news,” he said, leaning deliberately into Virgil’s personal space, “if you hurt my brother, you won’t anymore. 

Virgil’s heart skipped a beat. Had he done something to Roman without even knowing? All he’d done was talk to him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt him. 

“What?” he managed. 

“You’re a good person, Virge.” He said it like he knew, which only served to make Virgil more anxious. “And I know you’d never knowingly do anything to him, but listen to me. Ro wears his heart on his fucking sleeve like a character from the Walking Dead. Honestly, he might as well be a zombie with the amount of times the thing has been broken because of it. And you? You don’t know a thing about yourself, literally. The closer you get to him, the worse it’ll be for the both of you when he- when you get your memory back. It’s my legal duty not to harm you for the next 5 minutes while you’re still in this bed, but if you drag Roman into something you can’t get him out of unscathed, I’ll have you know that I know where every bone in your body is and I can and will break them one by one, okay?”

Virgil shrunk away, nodding. “I’m not getting close.”

His phone dinged, playing a short fanfare, and Virgil cringed. Perfect timing. 

Remus rolled his eyes, pushing away and grabbing his clipboard. “Relax, little emo. I’m not going to kill you because my brother likes talking to you. Honestly, I think you could be good for him. Just be careful. Don’t make any promises you can’t keep.”

Virgil felt his face heat up. He didn’t know anyone knew how much he and Roman had been texting. It wasn’t like he’d had much else to do, and Roman was surprisingly nice to talk to through text. He seemed much louder than in person, somehow. Talking to him like this, it felt much less like Roman was scared he’d shatter at any moment. It was calming. He still cared, but there was substance to it now. 

He decided not to focus on how much Remus seemed to know, instead choosing to focus on another strange aspect of the conversation. “Emo?”

The doctor froze, face entirely unreadable. “Yeah, your picture on your driver’s license looks like you came straight from a My Chemical Romance concert.”

“Sure, but… ‘little’ emo? Virge?”

“Are nicknames illegal now? he huffed. 

“Do you know me?” Virgil asked in a sudden bout of desperation. 

Remus finally looked at him again. “Virgil,” he said, “if I knew you, do you think I’d be here trying to give you relationship advice? Something horrible has happened to you, I can see that clear enough. That head wound isn’t enough to get rid of all of your memories without help, you know. Don’t tell the others or they’ll never leave it alone, but my best guess is you’re repressing a shit ton of trauma and the bang on your skull gave you a lift all the way through.

“Look, I know you want to know what happened so you can go back to normal. But this normal is worlds above what it used to be, trust me. Even if you have to make certain… sacrifices to keep it. You don’t know what ghosts you left behind, but you’re safe here. I’d very much like to keep it that way. Don’t go looking for your memories until you’re sure you’re ready to give this up. You forgot them for a reason.”

Virgil gawked at him. It sounded like he was talking as much to himself as to his patient. Virgil couldn’t think of a good response. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to, for Remus immediately changed the subject. “Alright, take it easy today. Always use the cane no matter how old it makes you feel, and bonus you might be able to cut a few lines because of sympathy. No stairs whatsoever, only use the escalator as a last resort, and don’t under any circumstances let Patton trick you into going into Build-a-Bear because you will never leave. Tell Logan if you feel strained or uncomfortable, he knows what to do. Don’t go too fast or do anything too stupid; I’d much rather see you at home than in a hospital. All that said, you’re free to go. They’re outside, bright blue convertible, you can’t miss it. I’ll see you tonight.”

  
  


Remus was right; Virgil wasn’t sure he’d’ve been able to overlook the car if he was  _ blind. _ It was a small car, but it was a shocking light blue and it shone like the sky in the front row of the parking lot. 

A sudden rush of nerves engulfed him. He barely knew these people, and he was just going to get into a car with them without even knowing much about where they were going? They could be kidnappers for all they knew, or maybe they were only helping him because they thought he’d be able to pay them back. Which he definitely couldn’t. What would happen when they realised how useless he was?

But Remus didn’t feel like he was expecting anything in return, and Roman  _ definitely  _ wasn’t a kidnapper. Anyone with the gall to belt showtunes in a hospital couldn’t possibly be dangerous. And he trusted these people.

Shaking off his anxious thoughts, Virgil took a breath and limped over to the car door.

“Get in loser, we’re going shopping,” an unfamiliar voice drawled the moment he opened the door. Virgil jumped back, receiving a laugh. “Come on in, babe. I don’t bite.”

He heard a sigh, then Patton’s cheerful yet stern voice. “Rem, don’t be weird. Hey there, kiddo!”

With a shaky exhale, Virgil slipped into the backseat. “Hey.”

And then there was a hot stranger in his face. Virgil assumed he was Rem. He simpered, lowering a pair of oversized sunglasses to look the new arrival over. 

“Well well well. It must be christmas. Hello, Naughty List.”

Virgil’s eyes widened in shock, and he distantly heard a gasp followed by a light slap. Rem recoiled back to his seat, still grinning. From the passenger’s seat, Logan coughed, pulling everyone’s attention to him. “Remy, isn’t it established that you already have a romantic partner?” he snapped, a dangerous edge to his voice. Virgil flinched. He’d never admit it, but Logan scared him a bit.

Remy just giggled. “Relax, teacher crush. Em knows I don’t mean it, bless his adorable heart. Just cuz I bought the coffee doesn’t mean I can’t smell the Frappuchinos, you know.” He shot a glance back at Virgil. “And damn, you are one sweet drink of tea, hon.” Leaning again, he whispered. “Ignore Logan. He’s just jealous because he can’t flirt to save his life.”

Logan turned to them and glared. Patton didn’t seem to have heard. “An interesting observation,” he said, voice deadly calm, “considering you’ve spent roughly an hour with me.”

Remy just smiled and rolled his eyes. “Am I wrong?”

Logan’s silence was answer enough. Huffing in frustration, he turned to stare out of the passenger window. 

In the rear view mirror, Virgil saw Patton glance worriedly at his friend, followed by a tiny twitch of his fingers, before his eyes dropped and the car started. 

“So, kiddo, any idea what you want to get today? Nothing is off the table.”

“Anything?” Remy’s brow twitched. “Oh, I do hope you mean that for all of us.”

Logan scoffed, and Patton ignored both of them. “Virgil?”

“Uh, I’m not sure. Anything other than Roman’s shirts, I guess,” he muttered, gesturing to the oversized red t-shirt he was wearing in lieu of the tank top he’d been found in. It was extremely comfortable, but his exposed arms made him feel self conscious, and the jeans kept slipping down. 

Patton smiled. “Well, let’s start at clothes, then. After that, we can hit up the food court, head to the bookstore, maybe go to Build-a-Bear-”

“No!” Virgil shouted at the same time as Remy.

“Why not? It’s a land of wonders!”

Remy groaned. “Last time we went there, you spent a hundred bucks on doll clothes.”

“It was worth it, though!” 

“I’d beg to differ. Oy, teacher crush. What do you think?” 

Virgil glanced over to Logan curiously, but he said nothing, fists tightening in his lap. Patton’s smile dipped. He lifted one hand slowly off the steering wheel, but paused when Logan shifted more towards the window. With a small sigh, he tightened his grip on the wheel and sped up. 

  
  


For the rest of the ride, Patton was uncharacteristically quiet, only piping up once or twice to stop Remy’s ramblings from getting too explicit. Finally, they arrived in front of a giant Macy’s. 

The driver parked and turned to Logan, biting his lip nervously. “Um, Lo?”

Inhaling sharply, Logan raised his eyes to the ceiling of the car. “Yes, Patton?” His voice wavered slightly.

“Where should we start? I mean, you know more about… about clothes than I do. Any ideas?”

Poor Patton sounded so desperate, and Virgil felt the strangest urge to shake the both of them and demand an explanation. Why were they acting so distant all of the sudden?

“Of course,” Logan said, voice level and almost robotic. “I’m quite obliged to helping Virgil. I trust you and Remy will find something suitable to keep yourself busy in the meantime?”

Patton started. “Oh! Um, sure!” His cheery demeanor was back in full force, though there was an undercurrent of confusion and maybe even a little bit of hurt. “Me and Rem will just grab some drinks, I guess. Do you want anything?”

“I require nothing of the sort, but thank you.”

“Um, alrighty then.” They sat there in silence for a moment before Patton shook himself. “Oh, sorry, Virgil. Do you want anything?”

“Hm?” Virgil hummed, still focused on Logan’s tense fingers. “Oh, no, thank you.”

“Okie dokie! You go with Logan, kiddo, and Rem and I will meet up with you in the food court, kay?”

Without another word, he hopped out of the car and pulled Remy haphazardly out of the door he’d just opened, dashing through the parking lot like a pair of scared mice. 

Logan shook his head, breathing heavily. Virgil quirked an eyebrow; Roman’s friends had seemed awkward a week ago, but it was nothing like this. Logan had seemed lovesick and confused before, not cold and emotionless. It was like he was trying to push Patton away.

“Are you… good?” Virgil asked. Logan jumped, turning and exhaling when he saw him staring at him curiously.

“Yes, I’m quite alright,” he said, shaking his head. “Just thinking.”

“About Patton?” The second the words left his lips, he regretted them. Logan’s eyes locked on him, mildly panicked. 

Finally, he muttered, “Are my emotions truly that clear? I’ve never exactly understood the significance of certain facial expressions in such circumstances.”

Virgil blinked. He was half expecting the large man to murder him, not ask for feedback. “Uh, it’s mostly in the body language, I think. I don’t think Patton has any idea, though. But I don’t exactly know. Are you two… fighting or something?”

Logan merely averted his gaze. “I’m certain there’s nothing to fight about. At least, nothing I’ve been made aware of.”

Choosing his next words incredibly carefully, he asked, “Are you sure?”

“If you’re referring to my dislike of Remy, that’s hardly a reason for discord. It’s true that I don’t quite trust him, but Patton’s choice of company is none of my concern.”

The sheer amount of bitterness in his voice surprised Virgil. Even in his uncomfortable state earlier, Logan’s tone had stayed more neutral than a computer. It was strange to hear so much emotion coming from him. Then again, Virgil hadn’t talked to him much at all before this. Maybe it was just Patton that put him on the defensive. 

“You should talk to Patton about it. I mean, if you don’t know what’s causing the problem.”

A hint of a smile touched on Logan’s lips. “You sound like Roman.”

“Well, Roman’s right.”

“I beg you to never say that again, especially not around him. Trust me when I say that he will never let you forget it.”

Virgil snorted. “I can definitely see that. I won’t.”

Logan kept his face neutral, but his eyes shifted back to Virgil, softening almost imperceptibly. 

Until his phone lit up with a text message, and he tensed up all over again, turning back around to respond. After a moment, Virgil’s phone buzzed too.

**Patton💙:** heya kiddo! We’re getting pizza! Tell me what toppings you want and come find us at the food court when you’re done shopping!!!💙

Sighing, Logan undid his seatbelt. “I suppose we’d better go find them, eh?”

“We have time,” Virgil offered, “if you want to get your bearings or whatever.”

Logan flashed him a grateful look and nodded.

  
  


15 minutes later, the pair wandered silently through the crowded corridor, dodging gaggles of teenagers and clusters of stressed parents attempting some last minute Christmas shopping. Finally, they found Patton waving excitedly at them from across the large hall, holding a Starbucks cup and a bag of take out containers. 

Remy stood behind him, staring at them passively through his sunglasses that he was still wearing, even inside. “Heya, bitches, welcome back,” he drawled as Patton thrust forward the bag.

Logan made no movements forward, so Virgil grabbed the food. “Thanks, Pat. Have you guys already eaten, or-?”

“Nah, we were waiting for you kiddos,” Patton chirped. Remy lifted his own bag and gave it a little shake. 

They sat down to eat, and a plot hole suddenly occurred to Virgil. “Hey, so who are you?” he asked Remy.

“A fucking catch, that’s what,” he said simply. “And very off-limits, hon, sorry to disappoint.”

Gasping, Patton slapped his wrist. “Language!” He nodded apologetically at Virgil. “Remy and I used to date.” 

Logan shifted beside him, and the final puzzle piece clicked into place. No wonder Logan was so on edge. He’d noticed Patton was oblivious, but this was just cruel.

“So, what did you two get?” Patton asked, more eager than Virgil thought was necessary.

Hesitating, Virgil turned to Logan, who was pointedly avoiding conversation by shoving pizza into his mouth. “We… kinda got sidetracked. Didn’t actually make it into Macey’s, I guess.”

Patton raised a concerned eyebrow, but Remy started to giggle. “Sounds like something Em would do. Scatterbrains, the lot of you.”

“What were you  _ planning _ on getting, then? We still have time.”

Logan sighed, obviously glad that there was finally something he could answer simply. “I was planning for something relatively casual. Khakis and polos, mostly. Nothing too excessive.”

“No.”

Virgil startled, staring at Remy. “Excuse me?”

Setting down his fork without even a bite of his salad, he leaned across the table. “Did I fucking stutter? No way am I letting you waste all of this potential on fucking khakis.”

Patton sighed. “Rem-”

“Pat, no. It is my duty as a basic bitch to make sure that art be properly displayed. I know you have a thing for that “I’m a 40 year old who has his life together” vibe or whatever, but Virgil needs more nuance. Have fun with your boyfriend, but I need to get this heartbreaker in something that doesn’t make him look like he has kids.”

He stood and grabbed Virgil’s wrist, dragging him out of the food court and into the nearest store, a Forever 21. Patton looked too shocked to argue, and though Logan’s eye twitched nervously, he did nothing to stop it. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao reading back on Remus.... wonder what's wrong with him... it's almost like he's scared of something.... probably nothing.....  
> pleasee leave a comment and kudo if you enjoyed!!!


	8. Chapter 7: The Mall, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy takes Virgil clothes shopping, ships ensue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay we are just going to ignore how badly written this chapter is. I've tried editing it several times and it just won't work with me, I'd take it out but there's a few really important things in it so sorry but here have.... whatever this is. enjoy! and don't worry... you're going to like next week's chapter....
> 
> TW: Vaguely sexual humour  
> use of sl*t (not shameful, just friendly)  
> copious swearing  
> alcohol mention  
> mentions of cheating  
> cringey dialogue that was written at 3 am I'm so sorry
> 
> okay I hope this is at least enjoyable I swear the quality gets better from here!

Remy laughed, twirling Virgil haphazardly as they stumbled past a cardboard Santa and into the store. “Alright bitch, time to put those assets to use. Come on, don’t be shy.”

Virgil sighed, hoping this wouldn’t be as horrible as it sounded. “Alright. Whatcha got for me, slut?”

Remy giggled like a madman. “Ooh, kitty’s got claws. This’ll be fun. Well, Virgie, all depends on your style.”

Virgil scoffed. “What style?”

“Touché. Well, let’s figure it out then. First off, which way do you go?”

“What?”

Lifting his sunglasses, Remy rolled his eyes. “Which way do you swing? Am I trying to dress a breeder, or is this gonna be fun?”

“Oh,” he said, a smile creeping onto his face. “Don’t worry, I like guys.”

“Thank  _ god _ ,” he said, practically swooning. “I cannot  _ stand _ straight fashion. Soooooo boring. ‘Oh look, it’s a dark blue shirt. Oh look, it’s some jeans. Guess I’m dressed now.’ It’s all so vanilla bean Frappuccino. They could at least try, you know.” He grinned, pulling a lump of black fabric off of its hanger and holding it against his chest. It was a shirt that tapered from a long conservative sleeve on the left arm to a sleeveless crop top on the right, leaving little to the imagination. He might as well just have picked up a sports bra. “Now  _ this  _ is flair.”

Virgil recoiled. “No way in hell are you putting me in that.”

Remy merely shrugged, still smiling. “Suit yourself. I’ll get it then; art like this cannot simply be wasted on basic bitches.”

“And what does that make you?”

“A  _ gay _ basic bitch, sis, get with the program. Now come on, I need to try this on and send Em pics of me looking cute so he’ll send me more pics of him looking adorable.”

He reached out to grab Virgil’s hand, but Virgil slapped it away. “I can walk, you know.” He reached for his cane, only to realise that it was still in the food court. “God, Remus is going to kill me if he finds out I’m walking without that stupid stick.”

“That puts the both of us on his hit list. Don’t worry, though; it’ll be awhile till he gets to us.” He held out his hand again, and this time Virgil took it, leaning on the surprisingly gentle man for support. “Let’s get you on a bench in the changing room. Knowing Pat, he’ll be here in five, ten minutes with your cane. Meantime, let me treat you to a show.”

Virgil snorted as Remy led them to the back of the store. They slipped into a changing room, and Remy slipped off his shirt, donning the crop top. Virgil had to admit, he looked amazing in the ridiculous outfit. His pale complexion provided a nice contrast to the black, creating a weird sort of yin yang effect while also showing off his lean muscles in a way more chaste outfits couldn’t dream of. 

Despite it all, Remy’s face dropped slightly. He seemed to be scrutinising his reflection in the mirror and looking for any flaws. His knuckles whitened around his phone. 

“Hey, Remy?” he asked. Remy turned to him, pulling his sunglasses off and raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah?”

“You’ve got a boyfriend, right? What’s he like?” The question was mostly to restore his confidence, but Virgil was curious too. The way Remy talked about his boyfriend, it made him sound like an angel. Or at least nothing like what one would expect. 

Remy’s expression softened immediately. “He’s… amazing. Emile, he changed my life. If you can’t tell, I’m a bit, well, bitchy. I used to bounce around from guy to guy, just breaking hearts left and right because I could. Major dick move, I know, but it made me feel powerful, I guess. 

“Well, my friend Corbin told me I needed serious help and gave me the number of this therapist who’d helped him and his boyfriend or something. To be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention at the time. Like I said, total dick. Anyway I put the number in my phone cuz Cor was gonna kill me if I didn’t and forgot about it for like a full month. 

“Then I got dumped for the first time in my life, through fucking text if you can believe that, and I didn’t really care about the guy, but rejection was very new to me and it hurt like hell.

“So I got really drunk and texted the first number I could find. I can’t remember most of it, but I’m pretty sure it was half pick up lines and half completely pouring my heart out and explaining all of my bitchiness. It was a legit mess. I can’t believe he never blocked me. 

“Anyway, next thing I know I’m waking up in my bed with a killer hangover and there was a cute guy in my kitchen making breakfast and handing me Advil. Turns out I blacked out, asked Em to come pick me up from the bar, and begged him to stay the night. It’s honestly a wonder he didn’t call the cops on me. 

“Well, obviously I was, like, mortified. I mean, I had a reputation to uphold, and I just revealed all of the weird shit in my brain to some rando. It was basically social suicide if anyone found out about it. But Emile just  _ had _ to be all perfect and refused to leave until he knew I was ok. 

“Well, he came over every day for 2 weeks, sometimes trying to talk about my feelings, sometimes ranting to me about cartoons, sometimes just trying to make me laugh. I kept trying to flirt with him, maybe to make it easier for me to deal with, I don’t know. But he was just so goddamn adorable that I gave up and started watching Steven Universe with him because he just sounded so passionate when he talked about it. I’m not sure when I finally realised what was happening, but he helped me figure out exactly what I wanted. Because before I was only looking to be loved. With him, I was finally willing to love. 

“And he never judges me for what I used to be or what I am now. He knows what I mean when I flirt with strangers or when I pretend I’m still that smooth heartbreaker I used to be. And he’s just so passionate about his job and his cartoons and helping other people in any way that he can. He’s just… so perfect. Dunno where I’d be without him.”

He shook his head a little, smiling sheepishly like he’d said too much, but Virgil nodded in encouragement. “Sounds like he really loves you.”

A faint blush crept up on Remy’s face, making him look borderline adorable. “Yeah, well, I really love him too.”

“And if he’s not blind, I have no doubt he finds you stunning in whatever you wear. Especially in that. You look hot, honestly.”

Just like that, Remy’s cocky expression returned. “Of course I do, bitch. I look hot in everything. You new here?”

“Yeah, I am, actually. That’s kind of why we’re here, remember?”

But Remy was hardly listening anymore, already snapping selfies to send to Emile. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. If I wanted a schedule, I’d’ve brought the nerd along, mkay?”

Virgil’s smile faltered. “What do you have against Logan, anyway? You’ve got to know that he’s dying over you and Patton. Do you guys just have some sort of age-old feud or something?” 

Lowering his phone for a moment, Remy aimed a smirk at him. “Nothing like that, sis. We met Friday. No no no. No, his crush on innocent little Patton is just so  _ obvious.  _ I figure the teacher’s pet just needs a little push in the right direction, and what better motivator than jealousy? Plus, who doesn’t love a little extra drama? Here, give me a minute. I’ll be back in a sec with an outfit that’ll send boys to their graves.”

Virgil snorted, watching Remy change back into his shirt and saunter out of the changing room. Sighing, he pulled out his phone and saw 3 texts from Roman.

**Prince Charming:** I’m at the theatre and uh

**Prince Charming:** just found Evan Hansen and Connor Murphy making out backstage

**Prince Charming:** so that brings the gay counter in this theatre rn to literally everyone

A flash of warmth crept into his cheeks. Roman had flipped when Virgil had admitted to not knowing what Dear Evan Hansen was and had promptly sent him a ‘slime tutorial’ of the show. Virgil was surprised by how much he liked the show. From what he could tell about himself, he wasn’t exactly the theatre type, but the balance of comedy, depression, and cautious optimism was honestly so cool. Not to mention Roman was playing Jared Kleinmam in a little over a week, and that was one performance he’d never dream of missing. 

**Virgil:** careful

**Virgil:** if it gets any gayer in there you might have a  _ homo _ -cide on your hands

_ Prince Charming is typing… _

**Prince Charming:** did you just-

**Prince Charming:** did patton pay you to make that joke?

**Prince Charming:** blink 3 times if he’s making you make puns against your will

Virgil giggled. He couldn’t help it; Remy’s effervescence was contagious, and Roman was undeniably adorable. 

**Virgil:** *blinks once*

**Virgil:** what’s wrong Ro

**Virgil:** can’t I make a pun

**Prince Charming:** you absolutely cannot if you don’t want me to combust from your cuteness

So much for being smooth. 

**Virgil:** Pretty sure I only know one cutie in this conversation… 

**Prince Charming:** you must be very well acquainted with your mirror then

**Virgil:** sure, when you’re standing next to me

“-still think it’s a bit much…”

Virgil straightened, turning off his phone quickly as Remy flung open the door with a pile of colourful clothes and Patton in tow. 

Remy huffed. “I told you, he’s fine with it. Cmon, babe, I never get to dress anyone this good, especially not a gay one. Let me have some  _ fun _ for once.”

“Gay?” Patton asked, rushing over to Virgil and handing him the cane with a wink before sitting down next to him. “How can you tell, what with the memory loss?”

With a slightly melodramatic gasp, Remy spun around. “Omg, I totally forgot about that! How would you know? Like god, took me a good 14 years to put the pieces together, and that’s  _ me _ . How the hell did you figure that out so quick? Unless…” Another gasp. “Omg, you  _ met  _ someone, didn’t you?”

Virgil went red, but Patton just sighed. “Rem, he just got out of the hospital. When would he have met anyone?”

Remy ignored him, staring intently at Virgil. “I’m right, aren’t I? I can smell the tea from here. Was it a nurse? Remus?”

“Remy!” Patton chided, turning to Virgil. “Sorry kiddo. He loves drama so much, I’m surprised he’s not up onstage with Ro.”

“Oh, you have no idea. I’m ruling out Remus, ‘cause… well, he’s Remus. Not the nurses, that’s too cliche. Holy sh- is it  _ Logan? _ ”

Virgil’s eyes widened, and he shook his head violently as Patton stiffened beside him. He knew what Remy was doing, but this was altogether too awkward. “Of course not!” he said, a little too defensively. 

Remy waved his hand dismissively. “No, I guess not. Judging on your personality, it’s gotta be a chatterbox, someone who’s gonna text you day and night, someone-”

He stopped abruptly, grinning from ear to ear as he eyed the lit up screen of Virgil’s phone. 

Virgil dared to glance down at the notification. 

**Prince Charming:** I wouldn’t want to tarnish such an angelic image with my meagre mortal looks

“Someone who has such a flair for the dramatics that he could rant for hours on end,” Remy finished, sounding borderline hysterical. “Now, who do we know like that?”

Patton clapped a hand to his mouth. Virgil’s face burned as he shoved his phone into his pocket and muttered, “Shut up.”

In fact, neither of them followed his advice. Patton squealed like a 7 year old at a birthday party, and Remy started to pepper him with questions ranging from what he thought of Roman’s eyes to what flavour their wedding cake would be. 

“We’re not dating!” he snapped after Remy asked how long this had been going. “I don’t even like him like that. I met him like a week ago. We’re just friends, that’s it.”

He wished it didn’t feel so much like a lie. 

Patton pet his shoulder and shot him a wry look. “Sureeeeee.”

Virgil glared at him, which just made him giggle harder. 

“Well, come on, not-loverboy. Let’s get you in some clothes for all of your  _ totally platonic dates. _ ”

  
  


They must’ve spent short of an hour in the dressing room, Remy dashing in and out to bring more outfits in whenever they ran out. Patton wasn’t kidding when he said Remy’s taste was a bit much. Everything he made Virgil try on was extremely bright and colourful and a little exposing. The only things he managed to convince Virgil to buy were a pastel pink button up, a few pairs of ripped jeans, and a leather jacket. 

“Alright,” Patton chirped, holding up his phone. “LoLo’s getting antsy out there, so I told him to meet us in here in 5. Sorry kiddos, let’s wrap this up.”

Virgil was about ready to collapse with relief, but Remy groaned. “Can’t teacher crush wait a little longer? We’ve just got started!”

“No can do, Rem. You don’t know how scary a restless Logie can be. Let’s go.”

When they got back to the main part of the store, Logan was already waiting, looking impatient and a little awkward. He nodded his greeting to Patton, then to Virgil, pointedly ignoring Remy, who laughed at the slight. 

Patton rushed up to the checkout counter and handed over the clothes before pulling out his wallet. The cashier’s gaze lingered on him, focusing on the small rainbow pin on his lapel and then tracing all the way up and down his figure. 

“Well, hello there, cutie,” he drawled. “Find everything alright?”

Patton flashed him a dazzling dimpled smile. “Yup! Thanks!”

Beside him, Virgil saw Logan’s expression harden like he was trying even harder to remain indifferent. Virgil felt his own stomach twist. 

The cashier paid them no mind, scanning and bagging the clothes without once taking his eyes off Patton. “That’s $72.95. The clothes, that is. You, though, are priceless.”

Patton chuckled. “Aw, that’s very sweet of you!” He started to hand the credit card over, but Remy stepped between them, face etched with concern and a little anger. 

“Why don’t I pay for this one, babe?” he asked with quite a bit of emphasis on the word  _ babe _ . The cashier’s brow furrowed slightly. 

Patton noticed none of this, merely shaking his head. “Today’s my treat, remember kiddo?” He reached past Remy’s frantic hands and gave the cashier, whose suspicions had since disappeared at the childish nickname, his card. 

The cashier simpered, swiping the card and glancing down at the name embossed on its front. “Patton,” he mused. “What a beautiful name.”

Logan turned away, pretending to inspect a rack of jeans as Patton blushed. “Thanks! What’s your name?”

“Ethan. Ethan McAllister.”

“So great to meet you, Ethan!”

Ethan blushed, handing him back his card and indicated the pin pad for Patton to sign. Meanwhile, he snatched up a pen and the receipt and scribbled something on the back of it before he slid it across the counter next to the bag. 

“My number,” he explained when Patton narrowed his eyes at the string of numbers. “If you wanna give me a call later or something.”

Logan froze, and his breath seemed to catch in his throat. His expression remained as emotive as a rock, at least until Patton’s response came. 

“Of course! That sounds great! Here, lemme put it in my phone really quickly…”

As he started to mess with his phone, Logan’s stoicism broke. Virgil could see the beginning of a tear shining in the corner of his eye. Without a word to anyone, he turned on his heel and walked briskly out the door, disappearing into the crowd.

Patton’s head whipped up, face falling immediately. Apparently, he’d been paying more attention than he’d let on. Remy was still gaping at him in horror, utterly aghast at the insanity of this interaction. Virgil just stood there, shocked and confused. 

Finally, Patton shook himself, sending another quick smile at Ethan and grabbing the bag. “Thanks for everything, but I’ve gotta go find my friend now. Talk to you later!”

Ethan just nodded, and Patton turned to Virgil. “Go ahead and find something else you like. Here, take my wallet. Rem, you can still forge my signature, right? You can sign off on any purchases. Stick together, you two. Text me if you need anything.” He ran off in the direction Logan had gone. 

Virgil looked at Remy. “Do you think he has any clue of what just happened?”

Remy shook his head. “As far as I can tell, he thinks he made a new friend and that his crush is acting weird.”

Ethan cleared his throat. “Um, excuse me? Did you just say  _ friend _ ?”

Rubbing at his temples, Remy turned to him. “Yeah, babe,  _ friend.  _ You’re not gonna be able to get between those two. And you’re not gonna want to try, mkay?” His words were innocent enough, but his tone held a murderous undercurrent. Ethan gulped and nodded. “Great. Cmon Virgil, let’s go.”

  
  


They passed a few more high end fashion stores, but Virgil wasn’t interested, and Remy seemed too beat to argue. Finally, they settled on Hot Topic.

Virgil limped through the cramped space, grabbing a few T-shirts here and there that looked witty and relatively comfortable, until he found what he was looking for. 

He pulled a large hoodie off of its hanger and slipped it over his head, immediately feeling a strange sense of security that he found both familiar and foreign. He supposed he must’ve liked hoodies before he’d lost his memory. He went down the line of hoodies, trying on each different design before picking out 2 solid black ones, one coloured like a galaxy, and one white one with a rose printed on the lapel. 

Standing there, staring at himself in the mirror for the millionth time that day, he finally saw himself looking back. The hoodies were nothing fancy, nor were the shirts, but they were comfortable, and they felt good, and Virgil actually felt for a moment like he was in his own skin again. 

If his life was going to revolt against him, he could at least afford some good armour.

“Rem?” he called quietly, lifting his basket of shirts and hoodies. “Are you ready to check out? I honestly just want to find Logan and Patton and get out of here.” 

Remy nodded. “Agreed. Let’s ditch this hellhole. But hey, at least you got some fashion out of today.”

Virgil snorted as lightheartedly as he could. Too much had happened today. Everything had spiralled out of control. But at least he could rely on Remy to make him laugh. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to check the message. 

**Prince Charming:** rehearsal is officially over today, so I’ll see you when you guys get home!!

And at least he could count on Roman to make him smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....okay so that was rough  
> I wonder where Patton is............
> 
> leave a comment if you have something to say because I live off comments lmao


End file.
